---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to water resources."
description: "Amend KRS 151.100 to define terms; amend KRS 151.110 to make technical corrections; amend KRS 151.112 to allow the Energy and Environment Cabinet to request technical assistance from any agency or organization to carry out its duties; make technical corrections; amend KRS 151.116 to direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet to consult with the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority in developing administrative regulations; amend KRS 151.120 to make a technical correction; amend KRS 151.125 to direct the secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet to adopt minimum standards for floodplain management; replace instances of “certificate of inspection” with “inspection report”; amend KRS 151.220 to permit the Energy and Environment Cabinet to accept and use cooperate agreements; amend KRS 151.250 to prohibit buildings, barriers, or obstructions in floodplains or floodways without approval and a permit from the Energy and Environment Cabinet; allow the Energy and Environment Cabinet to require approval prior to construction related to agricultural operations that impact the base flood of a stream; make technical corrections; amend KRS 151.260 to direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet to notify construction permit applicants within 20 working days for a floodplain permit and 45 working days for a dam permit; allow the secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet to establish administrative regulations requiring some dam owners to develop and maintain emergency action plans; amend KRS 151.293 to replace instances of “certificate of inspection” with “inspection report”; replace the “United States Weather Service” with the “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration”; make technical corrections; amend KRS 151.310 to prohibit encroachment on the reservoir area of any dam in Kentucky; amend KRS 151.600 to direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet to administer National Flood Insurance Program related activities; make technical corrections; repeal KRS 151.230."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2023RS"
identifier: "SB 277"
citation: "Kentucky SB 277 (2023RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Environment and Conservation", "Flood Control and Flooding", "State Agencies", "Technical Corrections", "Waterways and Dams"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 25
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-02-21T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2023-03-31T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/af63cd9a-ff38-4184-bb01-d92df4ae4884"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/23RS/sb277.html"
source_hash: "8071d082da3ba5cffa732c60bb81260000aaf76bb426288bf77f2d7f567b80db"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky SB 277 (2023RS) — AN ACT relating to water resources.

Amend KRS 151.100 to define terms; amend KRS 151.110 to make technical corrections; amend KRS 151.112 to allow the Energy and Environment Cabinet to request technical assistance from any agency or organization to carry out its duties; make technical corrections; amend KRS 151.116 to direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet to consult with the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority in developing administrative regulations; amend KRS 151.120 to make a technical correction; amend KRS 151.125 to direct the secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet to adopt minimum standards for floodplain management; replace instances of “certificate of inspection” with “inspection report”; amend KRS 151.220 to permit the Energy and Environment Cabinet to accept and use cooperate agreements; amend KRS 151.250 to prohibit buildings, barriers, or obstructions in floodplains or floodways without approval and a permit from the Energy and Environment Cabinet; allow the Energy and Environment Cabinet to require approval prior to construction related to agricultural operations that impact the base flood of a stream; make technical corrections; amend KRS 151.260 to direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet to notify construction permit applicants within 20 working days for a floodplain permit and 45 working days for a dam permit; allow the secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet to establish administrative regulations requiring some dam owners to develop and maintain emergency action plans; amend KRS 151.293 to replace instances of “certificate of inspection” with “inspection report”; replace the “United States Weather Service” with the “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration”; make technical corrections; amend KRS 151.310 to prohibit encroachment on the reservoir area of any dam in Kentucky; amend KRS 151.600 to direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet to administer National Flood Insurance Program related activities; make technical corrections; repeal KRS 151.230.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/23RS/sb277/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 159** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/23RS/documents/0159.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/23RS/sb277/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- PASS SB 277 — **pass** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage — **pass** (pass) · upper

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-02-21T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2023-02-21T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** to Natural Resources & Energy (S) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-01T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2023-03-02T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2023-03-03T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 08, 2023
- **2023-03-08T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 36 -0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-08T05:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2023-03-08T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Committee on Committees (H)
- **2023-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** 1st reading `reading-1`
- **2023-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** returned to Committee on Committees (H)
- **2023-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** to Natural Resources & Energy (H) `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Natural Resources & Energy (H)
- **2023-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading `reading-2`
- **2023-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** returned to Natural Resources & Energy (H)
- **2023-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, to Rules `committee-passage`
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Rules
- **2023-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** placed in the Orders of the Day
- **2023-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 96-0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2023-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2023-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2023-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2023-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 159) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/af63cd9a-ff38-4184-bb01-d92df4ae4884`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).